Got a big launch to deliver? Ensure lift off by adding the rocket fuel of a PR campaign

For any new service or product, the countdown to blast off will be smoother with help from a public relations agency.

Public relations means different things to different businesses, so our helpful guide explains the separate parts of the PR services jigsaw – in this post we look at launch PR for new products or services. Which element of PR could you use to energise sales, convince and convert customers or motivate staff?

WHEN A business or organisation has spent untold bundles of cash and devoted many hours of staff time to the launch of a new product or service, it has to be a success, right?

That means people – otherwise known as your existing and potential customers – need to know about you, whil ideally you’ll build a buzz of interest and a sense of anticipation.

That’s where the work of PR experts comes in – with the UK’s leading businesses recognising that well-planned public relations is essential to create the ideal launchpad.

Take the case of Primark. As a household name there is always a clamour of interest stoked up by eager shoppers whenever plans are mooted to open a new branch.

So Primark turned to our public relations agency in Edinburgh and asked us to ensure the launch of its stunning new store on Princes Street was Scotland’s most talked-about retail event of the year.

Dont forget to check out our other guides on the different parts of the PR services jigsaw:

For the launch we created a ‘hot ticket’ VIP pre-launch party that only saw important dignitaries, top fashion media and key influencers secure a prized invite. The process sparked a wave of interest across Edinburgh as people were desperate to get a sneak peek at the new multi-million store.

Side-by-side we undertook a creative media campaign that focused on delivering a series of high impact exclusives on the store design, fashion offerings and tourism benefits – with particular targeting of the key Edinburgh media. This was supported by a series of reader competitions and promotions.

With more than 290 stores across Europe, Primark knows exactly how valuable a feverish sense of expectation can be – and when it opened its first flagship store in Scotland’s capital city, the company wanted its Edinburgh launch to be memorable.

The results were outstanding. On top of 100 items of media and TV coverage, the opening day was unprecedented in Edinburgh, with queuing shoppers taking 15 minutes to enter once the doors opened and Primark hailing the launch weekend as one of its most successful in Europe.

However, using PR to support your product or service launch isn’t the sole preserve of High Street retail giants. The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) also called on our public relations company in Edinburgh when it wanted to showcase its first Anti-Illicit Trade Summit.

The challenge was to ensure the event was a commercial success – it had to be a sell-out – and to highlight the message that illicit trade is harming Scottish businesses. However, it was also recognised that people knew little of the SBRC and less about the scale of the problem.

Our launch PR campaign focused on the need to bring home the ‘shock’ nature of the problem – to showcase the dangerous fake products on the market, from poisoned alcohol to toxic make up.

It worked a treat, ensuring the event was a sell-out, delivering acres of advance and on-the-day media coverage and helping secure the attendance of Scotland’s Justice Minister to deliver the keynote speech.

The results? SBRC Director Mandy Haeburn-Little said: “It has been acknowledged by Police, Government and HMRC that this is the single largest piece of media attention that Scotland has ever had on the issue of counterfeiting.”

The success of the launch also saw our Edinburgh public relations agency recognised with a silver CIPR Pride Award in 2014 for Best Use of Media Relations

Find out how our Scottish public relations agency can help you

Next time you have a new product or service to launch, don’t leave it to chance or hope that customers will eventually find you. By engaging with a reputable public relations agency in advance, you will dramatically increase your chances of enjoying launch day success, while ensure you have the attention of customers from day one.

We’d love to talk to you further about our full range of PR services and explain the benefits you may be missing out on. You can contact us on 0131 561 2244 or by filling out the simple form, below and we’ll get straight back to you.